Don’t Call Me a Widow – Part 46 – Taking a Pause

Some days we simply need to take a pause.

I’ve created a sleep routine that isn’t serving me. Most nights, five out of seven, I ride my stationary bike before settling in to “veg” and head to bed. My habit has been to climb into bed after riding, turn on the TV, and let myself drift into binge‑watching — not always the best choices. I allow the streaming to lull me to sleep, only to wake up confused, lost in the storyline, trying to rewind to figure out what I missed. It’s become a bad habit, and this morning I felt the full weight of it in the form of extreme fatigue.

I’ve been asking myself why, and when I finally took my pause, I realized the answer wasn’t about the routine itself — it was about recognizing that this is not something I want to continue.

As a life coach,

I guide my clients to understand their choices, interrupt patterns, and create habits that support the life they want. And this morning, as I crawled back into bed feeling spent, I understood that I cannot — and do not want to — keep going down this road.

So, I’m choosing a shift. I’ve used it before, but now I’m committing to using the sleep timer on my remote. Depending on the hour, I’ll decide how long I’m willing to stay awake, and then let the TV turn off so I can fall into a healthier night’s sleep. I’m also exploring an app that can help retrain my brain and body to work together, giving me the restorative rest I need.

Let’s talk about the pause.

A pause is a simple thing that carries quiet power. At its core, taking a pause means intentionally interrupting your momentum so you can reconnect with yourself before you keep going. It’s the moment when you stop doing and start noticing — and that’s exactly what I did this morning.

I recognized that my nervous system needs a reset. I’ve been swirling in too many directions, reacting and overreacting to every sound. My overthinking has been creating havoc in my body, showing up as aches and pains I know I can influence.

I see now that the pattern I’ve created needs to be interrupted. I have to stop the automatic behavior that isn’t working for me.

Allowing the Pause to work.

The pause helped me see more clearly. It warned me that it’s time.

Taking a pause allows me to make my choices — not let my choices make me.

The pause allows me to act, not react.

The pause reminds me that clarity is already within me.

I am thinking about myself, offering myself the care I need for a better tomorrow.

Pausing is an act of self‑respect.

It’s my choice to change, because this is my life.

Choosing to change gives me ownership of my path, and I am able to move forward.

I am choosing who I want to be. I am choosing how I want to feel. It’s time to pivot — and I can do it.

Please join me in on my journey.

#YesICan Coaching with Karen
Email: Kh.yesican1@gmail.com